compiling php scripts - does it really work?

[firewoodtim]

I am confused regarding the status of development for converting php
scripts into compiled, distributable files. Can anyone provide a
summary of the current situation?

I have a set of about 200 php scripts that all work together to create
a CMS-like system. I've worked a long time on those scripts, and they
will, hopefully, someday make a living for my family, but I need to
take measures that to protect the code. It seems to me that the best
way to do that is to put all the scripts into a single, compiled
executable and run that on the server, instead of the human-readable
php.

Is this possible, and, if so, what are the best tools for the job?

[C. (http://symcbean.blogspot.com/)]

On 20 Apr, 20:41, firewoodtim <[e-mail]:

I am confused regarding the status of development for converting php
scripts into compiled, distributable files. Can anyone provide a
summary of the current situation?

I have a set of about 200 php scripts that all work together to create
a CMS-like system. I've worked a long time on those scripts, and they
will, hopefully, someday make a living for my family, but I need to
take measures that to protect the code. It seems to me that the best
way to do that is to put all the scripts into a single, compiled
executable and run that on the server, instead of the human-readable
php.

Is this possible, and, if so, what are the best tools for the job?

Yes - but be warned there are lots of PHP obfuscators out there
masquerading as compilers/proper encryptors. As such they will slow
down your code significantly.

I only have experience of the bad sort - but hope that Zend Guard or
Turck encoder might do a better job.

C.

[NC]

On Apr 20, 12:41 pm, firewoodtim <[e-mail]:

>
I am confused regarding the status of development for converting php
scripts into compiled, distributable files. Can anyone provide a
summary of the current situation?

There are commercial PHP compilers that do not rely on Zend engine:

http://www.roadsend.com/home/index.php?pageID=compiler
http://www.php-compiler.net/

(The last one is Windows-only)

I have a set of about 200 php scripts that all work together to create
a CMS-like system. I've worked a long time on those scripts, and they
will, hopefully, someday make a living for my family,

That, in my opinion, is not likely to happen. To pull it off, you
need
either a Microsoft-size marketing machine (which they use to sell
SharePoint) or a razor-sharp focus on a well-defined market niche (in
which case you still need a boatload of money; witness SugarCRM
raising
another $20 million in February, which brings the total funding
raised
from outside sources to $46 million).

but I need to take measures that to protect the code.

If you do that, your target audience is automatically limited to
those
with dedicated servers; you can't run an executable on a shared
server.

Rather than play "code protection" games, consider versioning. Give
away the "Community Edition", sell the "Professional Edition" for
deployment on customers' hardware (with an option to buy a
preconfigured
"appliance"), and offer the "Enterprise Edition" strictly as a hosted
solution.

Cheers,
NC

[Jeff North]

On Sun, 20 Apr 2008 15:41:32 -0400, in comp.lang.php firewoodtim
<fi*********@cavtel.net>
<qe********************************@4ax.comwrote :

>| I am confused regarding the status of development for converting php
| scripts into compiled, distributable files. Can anyone provide a
| summary of the current situation?
|
| I have a set of about 200 php scripts that all work together to create
| a CMS-like system. I've worked a long time on those scripts, and they
| will, hopefully, someday make a living for my family, but I need to
| take measures that to protect the code. It seems to me that the best
| way to do that is to put all the scripts into a single, compiled
| executable and run that on the server, instead of the human-readable
| php.
|
| Is this possible, and, if so, what are the best tools for the job?

Have a look at:
http://www.nusphere.com/products/nucoder.htm
http://www.nusphere.com/products/phpexpress.htm
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